US 12,262,709 B2
System for scale-down the processes of freezing and thawing aqueous solutions of thermo-sensitive pharmaceuticals
Andreia Filipa Silvestre Duarte, Sacavém (PT); Pedro Gil Sena Rego, Lisbon (PT); and Rui De Brito Estrela, Lisbon (PT)
Assigned to SMARTFREEZ LDA, Porto Salvo (PT)
Filed by SMARTFREEZ LDA, Porto Salvo (PT)
Filed on Aug. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/463,093.
Application 17/463,093 is a continuation of application No. 16/614,295, abandoned, previously published as PCT/IB2018/053438, filed on May 16, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 110076 (PT), filed on May 16, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0392875 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. A01N 1/00 (2006.01); A01N 1/02 (2006.01); F25D 23/06 (2006.01)
CPC A01N 1/0263 (2013.01) [F25D 23/06 (2013.01); A01N 1/0268 (2013.01); A01N 1/0278 (2013.01); A01N 1/0284 (2013.01); F25D 2201/10 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A scale-down system for freezing and thawing aqueous liquid mixtures of thermo sensitive substances, wherein said scale-down system is configured for replicating the conditions of a large-scale container,
wherein said large-scale container has a head-space and a liquid-space, with a substantially constant transversal cross-section area in the liquid-space that does not change more than 20% with height and holds a volume of liquid (VL) at a height of liquid (HL), with a transversal cross-section area (ATL) that does not change substantially with height, and has a lateral heat transfer area (ALL) in contact with the liquid-space and an equivalent radius (RL) defined as 2ATL/(ALL/HL);
wherein said scale-down system comprises:
a scale-down container;
a holder for holding the scale-down container; and
an insulator;
wherein the holder is outwardly surrounded by the insulator such that the insulator insulates at least 50% of the lateral walls of the scale-down container and such that heat transfer of the scale-down container is equivalent to the heat transfer of the large-scale container;
wherein the scale-down first-container:
has a head-space and a liquid-space, with a substantially constant average transversal cross-section area (ATM) in the liquid-space that does not change substantially with height;
holds a volume of liquid (VM) for a height of liquid (HM);
has a lateral active heat transfer area (ALM), having an insulated lateral area (ALIM);
has an equivalent radius (RM) defined as 2 ATM/(ALM/HM), which is equal to the equivalent radius of the large-scale container
has an ALIM that is equal or greater than the ALM.